Using Figurative Language

When you are writing ABOUT a work of art, sometimes using poetic or figurative language will help you express your ideas better than literal language can. Read the excerpt below:

from the NYTImes Review of Moana

There are some touching and amusing zigzags on the way to the film’s sweet and affirmative conclusion. Moana inhabits a bright world of water and sunshine, into which the filmmakers insert a handful of visual and musical showstoppers. The best of these is probably a glam-rock pastiche called “Shiny,” performed by Jemaine Clement in the guise of a greedy giant crab. Mr. Miranda’s motor-mouthed synthesis of hip-hop and show-tune traditions provides jolts of energy and wit, matched by some clever bits of animation. Maui’s tattoos come to life, making his body an inky comic strip within the film’s splashy, colorful cartoon world.

I've highlighted some of the more creative uses of language below:

There are some touching and amusing zigzags on the way to the film’s sweet and affirmative conclusion. Moana inhabits a bright world of water and sunshine, into which the filmmakers insert a handful of visual and musical showstoppers. The best of these is probably a glam-rock pastiche called “Shiny,” performed by Jemaine Clement in the guise of a greedy giant crab. Mr. Miranda’s motor-mouthed synthesis of hip-hop and show-tune traditions provides jolts of energy and wit, matched by some clever bits of animation. Maui’s tattoos come to life, making his body an inky comic strip within the film’s splashy, colorful cartoon world.